Risheeka's 'nude' poster under attack

IndiaTimes

January 11, 2012

Risheeka Singh has come under fire for appearing naked in a poster for her latest film

First Pooja Gandhi, and now it's Risheeka Singh who's in the spotlight for her bold avatar in the posters of a film. Risheeka - who features in the publicity stills of her latest flick Yaaradre Nangenu caked in dry mud sans clothes - was pulled up by women activists at the muhurat of the film on Monday. Alleging that she was in the nude in the posters, the group said that the poster portrayed her in a bad light. The event had to be conducted under police protection to prevent any untoward incident from taking place in the presence of industry bigwigs like Ambareesh.

Risheeka remains unfazed by the unexpected turn of events and the flak she has received for her look. "The posters are a direct lift from the opening shot of Yaaradre Nangenu. In the scene, my character has been beaten up by the villains and, assuming that she's dead, they bury her in the deserts of Rajasthan. But I return to avenge my humiliation and exploitation. The still is from when I come out of the pit in which I was buried," says Risheeka.

As for why the still looks so realistic, Risheeka says that she had worn a body suit and had been actually caked in mud while shooting for the film. "I've been criticized by people who say the definitions of my body are obvious in the poster. But aren't the contours of the body defined even when you're covered from top to toe in a sari? I'd like to know where these protesters were when I wore a bikini in my previous film," asks the actor.Yaaradre Nangenu, adds Risheeka, is a woman-centric film and her family is proud of her role in it. "My director father Rajendra Singh Babu and my actor brother Aditya have given their consent. So why I should I care about what others think?" she asks and adds, "My team won't have hard feelings if the film gets an 'A' certificate because of the still. The script demands it, so it's completely justified," asserts Risheeka.